Clone troopers are genetically modified humans cloned from bounty hunterJango Fett. Under the command of the Jedi Order, clone troopers fight for the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars, which takes its name from the troopers. At the end of the Wars, they are forced by a surgically implanted inhibitor chip to carry out Order 66 and slaughter the Jedi. After the conversion of the Republic into the Galactic Empire, clone troopers become known as the stormtroopers and are eventually phased out in favor of recruits.

During development of The Empire Strikes Back, Lucas initially conceived of a planet of clones that caused the Clone Wars mentioned in A New Hope. The clone trooper armor was designed to suggest an evolution into the stormtroopers of the original trilogy, and it incorporated features from both the armor of stormtroopers and Boba Fett, revealed in Attack of the Clones to be an unaltered clone of Jango. The armored troopers in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith are computer-generated images voiced by Temuera Morrison, who played Jango. Younger clones were played by Bodie Taylor and Daniel Logan, who played the younger Boba. Unhelmeted clones were played by both Morrison and Taylor, who wore bodysuits to isolate their heads, and some clone troopers featured a blend of the actors' features. In the animated The Clone Wars film and television series, adult clone troopers are voiced by Dee Bradley Baker and child clone troopers are voiced by Logan.

In writing The Empire Strikes Back, Leigh Brackett's first draft of the film initially developed Lando Calrissian as a clone from a planet of clones involved in the Clone Wars mentioned in A New Hope and were nearly made extinct by the war,[1] but this concept was not featured in the final film. George Lucas later came up with the alternate concept of an army of clone shock troops from a remote planet used by the Republic in the war that followed. Lucas intended for the prequel trilogy to depict the evolution of the galaxy's fighting forces, and the clone troopers were the step after flawed battle droids.[2]

Clone troopers were designed to strongly suggest the army's evolution into the Empire's stormtrooper army. Concept artist Jay Shuster said of the armor design, "It follows the formula for a lot of the prequel trilogy. Take something pre-conceived in the existing trilogy and de-generate it." Design Director Doug Chiang incorporated both features of the Boba Fett and stormtrooper armors into the design, acknowledging the "vague assertion in Star Wars lore" that Fett's armor was connected to those of the stormtroopers. Initial concept models implied that the first generation armor was thicker and bulkier than stormtrooper armor, and this characteristic was retained by the art department for Revenge of the Sith. Lucas expressed a desire for individualized trooper armor from the beginning of art development for Revenge of the Sith. Several variations were largely dictated by environmental needs, but others were influenced of the 2003 Clone Warsanimated series and the desert stormtroopers of A New Hope.[3] The clone trooper designs "progressed" closer toward the stormtrooper designs, and the film included variant designs similar to the sandtrooper, scout trooper, and snowtrooper armors of the original trilogy.[2]

The designs of clone trooper in snow and cold weather gear, seen in season one of The Clone Wars, are heavily inspired by early concept and costume by Ralph McQuarrie, Joe Johnston, and John Mollo for The Empire Strikes Back.[4]

In Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, all clone troopers are computer-generated images and are voiced by Temuera Morrison, who played the clone template Jango Fett.[5] The child clone troopers were played by Daniel Logan, who also played Jango's clone son Boba Fett, and the clone troopers as young men were played by Bodie Taylor, who was cast for his resemblance to a younger Morrison. Taylor was filmed multiple times and composited to fill out crowded shots set in Tipoca City, and in some cases, such as for distant shots, he was entirely digital.[2]

Commander Cody, seen in armor without his helmet in Revenge of the Sith, was played by Morrison. He wore a blue bodysuit and only footage of his head was used for Cody; he held a stormtrooper helmet to approximate the digital clone trooper helmet Cody carries.[5] Like Morrison, Taylor also played armored and unhelmeted clones in Revenge of the Sith, wearing a blue bodysuit that isolated his head. Some clone troopers were entirely digital and featured a digital blend of Morrison's and Taylor's facial features. The armor was match-animated to the actors' bodies.[2]

The clone troopers are voiced by Dee Bradley Baker in the 2008 animated film The Clone Wars and its related animated television series of the same name. Baker attempted to give each clone trooper a unique voice, taking into account personality, age, and position within the unit, sometimes describing the clone in a single adjective and focusing on that descriptor for the voice work. Each clone was voiced individually, with all the clone's lines for the episode recorded at one time before moving to another character, and the dialogue was edited together.[6]

Logan voiced the young clone troopers in seasons two and three of the 2008 television series. Baker reprises his role in the 2014 Rebels animated series.

In Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi discovers the clone army on Kamino. He is told that Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas ordered the army on the Republic's behalf ten years prior; however, Sifo-Dyas' apparent death shortly before that timeframe leads the Jedi Order to doubt this. The clone troopers are clone from Jango Fett, a bounty hunter hired by a mysterious Tyranus, later revealed to be Sith lord Count Dooku. The clone troopers' genetics are altered so that they age at twice human normal and so that they are more loyal and easier to command. The clone army is deployed to Geonosis under the command of the Jedi to rescue Obi-Wan, Anakin Skywalker, and Padmé Amidala from execution by the Separatists.[7]

In Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, set three years later, the clone army continues to fight in the Clone Wars against the Separatist battle droid army. However, Chancellor Palpatine, truly the Sith lord Darth Sidious, orders the army to execute Order 66, turning all clones against the Jedi. The clone troopers kill their Jedi commanders and burn the Jedi Temple.[8]

In the animated TV show The Clone Wars, the Clone Troopers become the focus of some of the episodes to depict them to be more than simple soldiers and with individual personalities. In the final season, more of the nature of "Order 66" is revealed when a Clone Trooper named Fives discovers that he and his brothers have chips implanted into their brains that would compel them to kill Jedi when "Order 66" is uttered. Ultimately, the Jedi remained unaware of this as Fives was executed by a shock trooper clone ordered by Palpatine to conceal the existence of the contingency order.

The animated TV show Star Wars Rebels features a group of former Clone troopers that help the crew of the Ghost. It is revealed that years after the end of the Clone Wars, the Empire phased out the Clone Stormtroopers in favor of birth-born recruits.

In the novels Lords of the Sith by Paul S. Kemp, and Tarkin by James Luceno, several clone troopers are still in active service during the early years of the Empire's reign, such as among stormtroopers serving Darth Vader, and even among the Emperor's elite Imperial Guard.

In the Legends game Star Wars Battlefront II, the surviving clone troopers were fitted with new armour and weapons, and became the Imperial Stormtrooper corps of the Empire. Later, a combination of natural-born humans as well as clones from different donor templates would be incorporated into the Stormtrooper corps.

The Coruscant Guard, sometimes simply referred to as shock troopers, is a division of clone troopers tasked with keeping the peace on Coruscant, protecting public spaces and important buildings, and serving as escorts and guards on diplomatic missions.[11][12] They first appear in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, where they search for Yoda's body in the Senate building after his duel with Darth Sidious and later help Sidious recover Darth Vader's body on Mustafar.[11] The Coruscant Guard appears in The Clone Wars film and television series, led by Commander Fox.[12][13] They hunt Jedi fugitive Ahsoka Tano when she is framed for the bombing of the Jedi Temple and for murder in season five, and they search for ARC trooper Fives when he is framed for an assassination attempt on Supreme Chancellor Palpatine in season six. Members of the Coruscant Guard wear armor with red markings.[11]

Commander Fox, CC-1010, led the Coruscant Guard, an elite clone trooper unit assigned to serve as peace-keepers on the Galactic Republic capital. Following the Battle on Teth, Fox's squad rescued Senator Padmé Amidala from Ziro the Hutt. Fox stormed Ziro's Palace, took out his battle droids, and freed Amidala. Ziro was taken to the Republic Judiciary Central Detention Center. When Cad Bane entered the Senate building and held a number of Senators and the Supreme Chancellor hostage, Fox led a company of the Coruscant Guard to cut off his escape. Unfortunately, Bane had rigged the chamber and the hostages with explosives. Seeing this, Fox ordered his men to stand down and allowed the bounty hunter and his team to leave the Senate building

Like every other clone trooper in the Guard, Fox was bound by honor and duty to protect and serve the Supreme Chancellor and the members of the Galactic Senate. Utterly fearless, he was always the first to lead the charge into battle, even in the most perilous combat situations. His unquestionable loyalty meant he would carry out his orders without question, even if it meant killing a Jedi or another "brother". His exemplary performance has made him one of the most highly decorated soldiers in the Republic army.[14]

The 501st Legion is a division of clone troopers under the command of Jedi General Anakin Skywalker and Padawan Commander Ahsoka Tano. It first appears unnamed in Revenge of the Sith under the leadership of Commander Appo, and they assault the Jedi Temple on Coruscant under Order 66. The 501st Legion also appears extensively throughout Star Wars Battlefront video game franchise and The Clone Wars television series, under the leadership of Captain Rex of Torrent Company. In the Star Wars Legends expanded universe, after the conversion of the Republic into the Galactic Empire, the 501st Legion is nicknamed Vader's Fist and becomes Vader's personal battalion. Members of the 501st Legion wear armor with blue markings. The unit is named after the 501st Legion costuming group.

During Star Wars Celebration 2016, Dave Filoni stated that in a planned story arc for The Clone Wars, Ahsoka, who has left the Jedi Order, is given command of part of the 501st Legion, including Captain Rex; those under her command repaint their helmets orange and adorn them with Ahsoka's togruta markings. She leads them at the siege of Mandalore, which takes place at the same time as the beginning of Revenge of the Sith.[15]

Commander Appo serves in the 501st Legion under the command of Jedi General Anakin Skywalker. He first appears in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, in which he and other members of the 501st carry out Order 66 and follow Anakin, now Darth Vader, in attacking the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.[16] He stops Senator Bail Organa from entering the Temple, and he is ultimately cut down by an escaping Jedi Padawan.[8] Appo later appears in season four of The Clone Wars television series as a sergeant in the 501st serving under clone Captain Rex. His armor bears blue markings. In The Clone Wars television series, his helmet is adorned with a white arrow in reference to Appa of the Avatar: The Last Airbender television series, on which The Clone Wars supervising director Dave Filoni worked.[17]

Captain Rex, CT-7567, leads Torrent Company of the 501st Legion, often under the command of Jedi General Anakin Skywalker and Jedi Commander Ahsoka Tano.[18] He first appears in The Clone Wars film and its related television series, and he is the primary clone trooper character of the series. Rex later appears in the Rebels television series, set fourteen years after Revenge of the Sith. Now a much older man because of his accelerated aging, he lives on the wasteland planet Seelos and hunted worm-like joopa with Wolffe and Gregor before they are offered a place in the Rebel Alliance.

ARC trooper Fives, CT-27-5555, serves alongside fellow ARC trooper Echo.[19] He first appears in The Clone Wars season one episode "Rookies" as a regular trooper. He and his unit are assigned to a remote listening outpost that is invaded by Separatist droids. Though the invasion is successfully repelled, only Fives and Echo survive, and they are reassigned to the 501st Legion.[20] The season three episode "Clone Cadets" depicts Fives and his unit as cadets in training on Kamino. The unit, called Domino squad, is initially unable to work together to pass their final test. Fives and Echo feel weighed down by the others in the squad and ask to be reassigned, but the request is denied. Under the advice of Jedi General Shaak Ti, Fives and Echo recommit themselves to Domino, and the squad is able to pass. Fives and Echo are eventually promoted to ARC troopers together for their actions while defending Kamino and continue serving with the 501st. When assigned to the command of Jedi General Krell, Fives finds Krell's disregard for clone trooper lives appalling and openly disagrees with Krell and with Captain Rex, who is insistent on following orders. Fives disobeys a direct order, and though his actions allow a Republic victory, Krell, without process of a court-martial, finds Fives guilty of treason and sentences him to execution by firing squad. However, Fives urges his fellow troopers to see this as an injustice, and the firing squad refuses to execute him.

In season six, Fives discovers the inhibitor chip conspiracy, removing his own in the process, and attempts to warn the Republic that the clone trooper army can be used against the Jedi. However, Palpatine frames Fives for an assassination attempt, initiating a manhunt for Fives. Fives is able to contact Rex and Anakin Skywalker, and he attempts to warn them of the conspiracy and of Palpatine's involvement. He is ultimately killed by Commander Fox of the Coruscant Guard and dies in Rex's arms.

Fives' name is derived from his designation number, which features fives in sequence.[20] He is distinguished by a goatee and a stylized numeral five tattoo on his right temple. His armor bears blue markings, and a stylized worm creature adorns his helmets; after his promotion to ARC trooper, he also wears light gray pauldrons on his shoulders and kilt-like kama painted with blue stripes. He regards duty and honor above orders and protocol, feeling that there is no honor in following foolish orders and marching to his death. He insists that clone troopers be referred to by name, not number, and that they are soldiers, not units, and should be treated as such. He is a close friend of Rex and considers his best friend to be fellow trooper Tup, who aids Fives against Krell and is one of the first to refuse executing Fives when given the order by Krell. When Tup begins behaving abnormally, a result of an inhibitor chip malfunction, Fives goes to great lengths and disregards order to attempt to save Tup's life and, later, discover the true cause of Tup's death. With his dying words, he describes attempting to expose the conspiracy to have been his duty.

ARC trooper Echo, CT-21-0408,[21] sometimes CT-1409,[22] serves alongside fellow ARC trooper Fives. He first appears in The Clone Wars season one episode "Rookies" as a regular trooper. He and his unit are assigned to a remote listening outpost that is invaded by Separatist droids. Though the invasion is successfully repelled, only Echo and Fives survive, and they are reassigned to the 501st Legion.[20] The season three episode "Clone Cadets" depicts Echo and his unit as cadets in training on Kamino. The unit, called Domino squad, is initially unable to work together to pass their final test. Echo and Fives feel weighed down by the others in the squad and ask to be reassigned, but the request is denied. Under the advice of Jedi General Shaak Ti, Echo and Fives recommit themselves to Domino, and the squad is able to pass. Echo and Fives are eventually promoted to ARC troopers together for their actions while defending Kamino and continue serving with the 501st. Echo is apparently killed in an explosion during a rescue operation in the season three episode "Counter Attack".

The story reels for an unfinished four episode arc called Bad Batch, released as part of The Clone Wars Legacy project, revealed that Echo survived and was captured by Separatists. He was modified into a cyborg able to communicate directly to computers and tasked with decoding the Republic strategy algorithm. Echo is rescued by Captain Rex, and with his ability to understand Separatist transmissions, he plays a key role in a victory against the Separatists.

Echo's armor bears blue markings, and a blue handprint adorns his chest-plate; after his promotion to ARC trooper, he also wears light gray pauldrons on his shoulders and a kilt-like kama painted in an asymmetrical white and blue design. He is characterized as one who strictly follows orders, regulations, and protocol. Echo's name is given to him by Domino squad on Kamino as a sarcastic reference to his tendency to immediately repeat orders, even if his squad already heard.[20]

Kix, CT-6116, is a medic serving in the 501st Legion. In season six, Kix aids Fives, a fugitive because he discovered the inhibitor chip conspiracy. The short story "The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku" reveals that this action prompted Count Dooku to capture Kix, who discovered the conspiracy himself by the time of his capture. With droids failing to secure a confession, Kix was frozen in stasis for delivery to Dooku. The ship crashed into a planet during a randomized hyperspace jump to escape a Republic attack and protect "Dooku's prize". Fifty years later, Kix is released from stasis by pirates searching for "the lost treasure of Count Dooku". Kix is taken aboard the Corsair's ship and welcomed to their endeavor of raiding forgotten Separatist bases.[23]

Kix is distinguished by his shaved hair and a phrase translating to "a good droid is a dead one" tattooed across his head. His armor bears blue markings, and his Phase II armor bears a red insignia marking him as a medic. He is "dedicated to preserving the life of his brothers", and he even tells an injured Captain Rex, "As the team medic, when it comes to the health of the men, including you, I outrank everyone." However, he still has "no qualms about fighting the enemy".

Jesse, CT-5597, is a member in the 501st Legion. In season four, Jesse like Fives comes to consider General Prong Krell to be ruthless and reckless (mainly over the casualty numbers). He later helps Fives and Hardcase on a rogue mission to destroy a separatist supply ship, which succeeds at the cost of Hardcase's life.

Jesse is distinguished by his shaved hair with the Republic symbol tattooed on most of his head. His armor bears blue markings with the Republic symbol on the center.

Within the film series and in the Star Wars expanded universe media, a number of specialized trooper units are seen, including elite special forces units such as the 'Advanced Reconnaissance Commandos' (ARC troopers), and Null ARCs,[24] who usually work alone. All clone commandos and ARCs were trained by Mandalorian mercenaries; the elite Clone Troopers are known as Shadow Troopers.

The style and color of a clone troopers armor often varies depending on their rank, specialization, unit, or environment, for example, the clone troopers on Kashyyyk wear camouflage green scout-style armour whereas the 501st legion wears standard white armor with blue accents. Another example is the aquatic SCUBA troopers, who appear in the animated series Star Wars: Clone Wars. SCUBA troopers are equipped with high-tech breathing apparatuses and long range blaster rifles.[25][26]

Delta Squad is a unit of four Republic commandos, a type of specialized clone trooper. The squad is introduced in the video game Star Wars: Republic Commando and featured thorough the Republic Commando novels by Karen Traviss, and its troopers make a brief appearance in The Clone Wars television series. Delta is led by Sergeant Boss, RC-1138 and often referred to as simply 38; he is distinguished by orange markings on his armor, and he is voiced by Temuera Morrison. Scorch, RC-1262 and often referred to as simply 62, is the squad's demolitions expert and has a jocular sense of humor; he is distinguished by yellow markings on his armor, and he is voiced by Raphael Sbarge. Sev, RC-1207 and often referred to as simply 07, is the group's sniper and is characterized as grim. During a mission on Kashyyyk at the end of the Clone Wars, depicted at the end of Republic Commando, Sev's transmission signal is lost, and he is declared missing in action; his ultimate fate is uncertain. Sev is distinguished by red markings on his armor, and he is voiced by Jonathan David Cook. Fixer, RC-1140 and often referred to as simply 40, is the hacker and technical expert and is characterized as distant and stern; he is distinguished by green markings on his armor, and he is voiced by Andrew Chaikin.

Omega Squad is a unit of four Republic commandos featured in the Republic Commando novels. The members wear black armor, and each man is the sole survivor of his previous unit. Omega is led by Sergeant Niner, RC-1309, who is characterized as serious and protective of the other men. Darman, RC-1136, is a demolitions expert; he falls in love with Jedi Etain Tur-Mukan, and they have a child. Fi, RC-8015, is the squad's sniper and medic, and he is described as seemingly easy-going but troubled by the denial of a normal life. Fi suffers a brain injury in True Colors and is declared legally dead when he falls into a coma; medical procedure requires he be euthanized, but he is taken to Mandalore where he eventually makes a full recovery. Atin, RC-3222, is the squad's technical expert, and he is described as quiet but deeply stubborn. Atin was trained by Walon Vau, unlike the others, and he initially harbors deep resentments for Vau. Corr, CT-5108/8843 later RC-5108/8843, joins the squad upon Fi's injury. Corr is a regular trooper who served as a bomb disposal expert; because of an injury, both arms from the elbows are prosthetic.

Captain Gregor, CC-5576-39, is a former commando suffering amnesia and living on the distant planet Abafar. He is introduced in the season five episode "Missing in Action", where a stranded Republic mission discovers him working as a dishwasher in a diner. It is revealed that he lost his memories and sense of identity after a shuttle crash during a devastating battle. He was rescued by his employer, who keeps Gregor's true identity from him to prevent him from leaving, but Gregor is able to regain his sense of duty and his armor to help the Republic. Gregor holds off Separatist droids to allow the Republic mission to escape, and despite his promise to make his way home, he is seemingly killed in an explosion.[27] He later appears in the Rebels television series, set fourteen years after Revenge of the Sith. He is revealed to have removed his inhibitor chip, preventing him from carrying out Order 66. Now a much older man because of his accelerated aging, he lives on the wasteland planet Seelos and hunts worm-like joopa with Captain Rex and Commander Wolffe.[28] Sometime after the Clone Wars, he suffered a brain injury, causing him to suffer brief periods of apparent insanity. Gregor's commando armor bears yellow markings and an off-white camouflage pattern, and his helmet is adorned with hash-marks modeled after those on Gerry Cheevers' hockey mask.[29]

Cody is distinguished by a scar on the left side of his face. His armor bears orange markings, and he wears visors on his helmets. He is characterized as a cautious but "natural and practical leader" whose "keen ability to strategize, combined with his fierce combat style in the heat of battle, earned him the respect of the Jedi, and of his fellow clones".[30] He is also noted to adhere to standard procedures and protocol.[20] Cody is particularly loyal to Obi-Wan, whom he complemented well, and their relationship is characterized by a mutual camaraderie and trust. Cody is also friends with Captain Rex.[30]

Commander Gree, designation number 1004, leads the 41st Elite Corps under the command of Jedi General Luminara Unduli.[31][32] He first appears in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith aiding Jedi General Yoda on Kashyyyk. He attempts to carry out Order 66, but he is decapitated by Yoda.[8] He later appears in the first and second seasons of The Clone Wars television series serving under Luminara. Gree is distinguished by his dyed red hair shaved into two parallel stripes and eyebrows dyed to match his hair. His armor bears green markings, and he appears in green camouflage armor in Revenge of the Sith.[32]

Commander Bly, CC-5052, serves in the 327th Star Corps under the command of Jedi General Aayla Secura.[33] He first appears in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, in which he and his men carry out Order 66 and shoot Aayla in the back, killing her.[8] He later appears in season one of The Clone Wars television series alongside Aayla. Bly is distinguished by his close-shaved hair and yellow rectangular tattoos on his cheeks. His armor bears yellow markings, and he wears a brown pauldron on his left shoulder, a kilt-like kama, and binocular attachments on his helmets. He is known as a dependable soldier who greatly values the success of the mission,[34] and he has a "close working relationship" with Aayla and respects her dedication to achieving her objectives.[33][34]

Commander Wolffe, CC-3636, leads the 104th Battalion under the command of Jedi General Plo Koon.[35][36] He is introduced in The Clone Wars season one episode "Rising Malevolence". He is the first officer aboard Plo's flagship Triumphant when it is destroyed by General Grievous and is one of three clones to survive.[35] Afterward, he appears with a redesigned character model, including a cybernetic eye implant, and leads a tight-knit unit nicknamed Wolfpack on the battlefield. He later appears in the Rebels television series, set fourteen years after Revenge of the Sith. Wolffe is revealed to have removed his inhibitor chip, preventing him from carrying out Order 66. Now a much older man because of his accelerated aging, he lives on the wasteland planet Seelos and hunts worm-like joopa with Rex and Gregor. When they are sought by the rebel protagonists, Wolffe is suspicious of their motives and contacts the Empire to protect himself, Rex, and Gregor. Rex convinces him that the rebels can be trusted, and Wolffe regrets his actions.

Wolffe is distinguished by a scar running through his eye and a silver cybernetic eye implant. His armor is adorned with a gray stylized likeness of a wolf, and he wears a kilt-like kama. He is characterized as detail-oriented and as having "a sense of strategy superior to that of most clone officers, making him a highly effective complement to Plo."[35] He is impatient with missions that send him away from the battlefield and becomes quickly exasperated with garrulous protocol droid C-3PO.[37]

Graeme McMillan of The Hollywood Reporter felt the decision to make an army of clones is a "softening of the Star Wars' own mythology", though the article later corrected that not all troopers in the franchise were clones. Noting that the films never specify that the clone troopers are replaced by regular soldiers by the original trilogy, he believed that the idea of soldiers who are created solely for war and are little more than machines "sanitizes the war of the franchise's title". He praised the decision of The Force Awakens to explicitly move away from clone troopers as bringing "much-needed moral complexity" to the film's conflict.[10]